Da’Quan Bowers Talks Job Security
August 22nd, 2014
Bucs DL Da’Quan Bowers talks about his job status.
Wednesday, Bucs coach Lovie Smith discussed the status of oft-injured defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers. Lovie did not mince words: Bowers needs to get out of the cold tub and onto the practice field or he could be unemployed, soon.
Lovie noted when bubble players miss reps, others take advantage. In short, Bowers had better his hurt groin healthy enough to get on the practice field and play through the pain.
Yesterday, Bowers, always a stand-up guy, addressed Lovie’s public challenge.
“It comes with the game,” said Bowers, who is in the last year of a four-year contract. Players who cannot play get cut “but like [Lovie] said, any time you can’t get on the practice field it gives someone else an opportunity. When you do get on the practice field, you have to get your reps and I think I have done a decent job of that this training camp.”
Bowers admitted his days may be numbered if he cannot resume practicing and he and Lovie had a brief conversation about where Bowers stands.
“Coach Smith said take it day by day,” Bowers said. “I re-evaluate each day. I am getting batter. Coach Smith is a man of few words so when he does say something, you have to let it stick in your mind. So that is what I have been doing. He hasn’t said a whole lot but what he has said to me, it has stayed in my mind.”
Bowers would not specify what exactly Lovie told him other than the aforementioned quote. Despite being sidelined, Bowers made a sales pitch for himself and believes he brings value to the Bucs. Lovie has moved Bowers from end to tackle for the time being.
“Being able to rush inside will benefit this team,” Bowers said. Defensive “ends are more suitable as athletic guys as opposed to [offensive] guards. Hopefully, that will be on my side if I get a chance to rush there.
“Everybody is on the bubble. Only a select few guys have their spots. The rest are competing for jobs. Just like anywhere else in the league, no one is set in stone.”
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:07 am
Ever pull a groin…your’s, not someone else’s.
It hurts like a motherf*&ker and takes forever to heal, as well as making you more susceptible to more groin pulls because the muscle never fully heals, it doesn’t fully heal because it never fully scars up because if you’re not on bed rest you are constantly using the muscles to walk, so the pull or tear my heal to a point, but never fully…
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:30 am
So used to not seeing Bowers on the field I could care less if he makes the team or not. He better keep that syrupy smooth gospel singin voice warmed up.
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:36 am
man i wish this guy could stay healthy…. BUT
stick a fork in him. he’s done
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:38 am
I like his quotes. Tells me that unless they just paid you like m Johnson, you make the team you must have earned it.
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:50 am
As Tony Dungy used to say, one of the greatest abilities a player can possess is “availability. Hard to get any sacks from the whirlpool tub.
August 22nd, 2014 at 9:01 am
Spot on flmike…. A very nagging injury that always resurfaces once you think your in the clear. IMO Bowers was a goner from the get go this season, but a groin injury is just the icing on the cake for this former number one prospect.
August 22nd, 2014 at 9:22 am
Bowers is not going anywhere. Lovie only using as motivation only. Why would Lovie cut a guy that is finally showing some promise. With that said Bowers will only have this year to show he belongs. Lovie is not going to cut a guy that in the least can offer depth at a D line he’s sure to be in a rotation of fresh bodies.
August 22nd, 2014 at 9:33 am
Time to let someone with the fire and willingness to improve take his place.
Nice and simple either you are in or you are out. No Barking necessary…
August 22nd, 2014 at 9:37 am
@Bob – Bowers is to delicate to play football. Time to let others get their chance. Let Cummings in instead. He looks promising and has heart.
August 22nd, 2014 at 9:53 am
I’ve been as big a basher of Bowers as anyone – but – has anyone else really threatened his roster spot? At the moment I don’t think so. What the team needs is for a couple of these kids to break out and start performing. I don’t care who, but it needs to happen.
August 22nd, 2014 at 10:25 am
“Cummings looks promising” .
To who? Nobody, including us, saw enough to draft him in any round.
But I hope you’re right.
I’m rooting for Bowers, and still believe he will play for this team.
He has burst off the line. Other than McCoy, nobody else has shown that.
Chaz Sutton showed Burst in Camp- not in games.
I’m sure our new DE has Burst- and believe we will see it soon.
Other than that – it’s Bowers.
If he can’t hold up, then it is what is.
But he normally played LDE, opposite where Johnson plays
If he can add pass rush from LDE- then we really can scare offenses.
Just don’t know if it’s gonna happen. But I got my fingers crossed.
August 22nd, 2014 at 10:45 am
“I’ll say this about him; he’s more action than words. He comes to work every single day. He doesn’t make any excuses and just learns and works. That’s the way it should be for a rookie,” McCoy said of Cummings.
I wish we could say the same for Bowers….
August 22nd, 2014 at 10:48 am
Bowers needs to move on he has been steeling money from this team since day 1 he needs to go back to eating and being lazy let another team deal with this bum
August 22nd, 2014 at 11:15 am
What’s this guy’s deal. I was excited as hell when we drafted him, and his knee hasn’t been the issue, so what’s his problem. This was a supposed 1st overall! Hell I was pissed when we passed on him in the 1st, I won’t lie!
But I can’t help to think it’s between his ears – maybe the coaches broke him down? Because I can’t believe his lackluster play is the result of inferior athletic ability.
August 22nd, 2014 at 11:51 am
Larry English spells the doom of Bowers.
August 22nd, 2014 at 11:58 am
Toast
August 22nd, 2014 at 12:20 pm
“Jim Walker Says:
August 22nd, 2014 at 11:51 am
Larry English spells the doom of Bowers.”
What’s the latest on English? When will he get reps?
August 22nd, 2014 at 2:10 pm
English and Bowers do not play the same position. Bowers is now a DT and English is playing the position he should have been playing all along in the NFL RDE. I will be watching English closely tomorrow I’m hoping to starts to play up to his draft status now that he is in the right system/position.
August 22nd, 2014 at 9:54 pm
Bowers looked good inside. They’ll hold on to him.